Santa Anita news: McAnally aptly aims for Shoemaker Mile
On Memorial Day a week from Monday, America honors its patriotic veterans with a day of respectful remembrance.
Santa Anita, in a lesser sense, shares in that grateful reflection with the running of the Shoemaker Mile, one of three Grade 1 events that day offering a total of $1.5 million in purses.
The Shoemaker is named for the late, great racing veteran, Bill Shoemaker, who was and remains the gold standard among jockeys 16 years after his death on Oct. 12, 2003.
Fittingly, Ron McAnally will have a horse in that race, a 6-year-old Argentine-bred named Le Ken that has outrun his odds in each of his six United States starts. It would be fitting, too, if McAnally, 86 and a member of the Hall of Fame since 1990, would win the Shoemaker, captured five times by the rider when the race was run as the Premier Handicap.
After all, McAnally and Shoemaker started out together. They were here in 1948, when Santa Anita was in its infancy.
“Shoe was one of the greatest I’ve seen,” McAnally said. “We grew up together. He was mucking stalls when I was mucking stalls. He was a classy guy and a helluva rider.”
As for Le Ken, he was fourth in his U.S. debut at 80-1 in the City of Hope Mile (G2); fourth at 19-1 in the restricted Lure Stakes; ninth after an eventful trip at 54-1 in the Seabiscuit (G2); second in an overnight race at 21-1; third in the Thunder Road (G3) at 22-1; and fourth in the San Francisco Mile (G3) at 16-1.
“He’s been right there in most of his races,” McAnally said. “He’s been training really well. I’m real happy with the way he looks and how he’s been doing. Hopefully, if he’s in a photo this time, it will be for the win.”
Should he do so, it would add to McAnally’s career stakes victories at Santa Anita, currently at 113, good for fourth behind Charlie Whittingham, Bob Baffert and Bobby Frankel, all Hall of Fame members.
Likely for the Shoemaker, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Race providing the winner with a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile on Nov. 2: Blitzkrieg, Bowies Hero, Catapult, Delta Prince, Desert Stone, Le Ken, Ohio, River Boyne, Sharp Samurai and Synchrony.
GIFT BOX MAKES PRESENCE FELT IN SMART GOLD CUP DRILL
Santa Anita Handicap winner Gift Box is on course for the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) on Memorial Day after working six furlongs Saturday in 1:13.60.
“It was an excellent work on this track,” said John Sadler, who won two races yesterday to move into third place in the standings, six wins behind leader Doug O’Neill. “He galloped out a mile in 1:41. (Joel) Rosario is coming in to ride him and others for us that day.
“Catapult went a minute and change yesterday (1:02). He went very well also. Both the Gold Cup and Shoemaker are good, salty races.”
Probable for the Gold Cup: Core Beliefs, Florent Geroux; Fight On, no rider; Gift Box, Joel Rosario; Lone Sailor, Flavien Prat; Mongolian Groom, no rider; and Vino Rosso, John Velazquez.
VASILIKA COULD BREEZE TUESDAY FOR GAMELY STAKES
With rain currently in an erratic pattern, Jerry Hollendorfer scrapped plans to breeze Vasilika on Monday for the Gamely Stakes (G1) and likely will work her Tuesday.
“We’ll be conservative and probably breeze her Tuesday,” the Hall of Fame trainer said of the five-year-old Skipshot mare, claimed for $40,000 on Feb. 11 last year and winner of 11 races since, eight of them stakes including the Rodeo Drive and the Matriarch, both Grade 1s.
“You get horses that will develop like that,” Hollendorfer said in addressing her dramatic success since the claim. “Not a lot, but some.”